January 12, 2014

Indonesian Church Service

Malang English Service

Today we went to an Indonesian church service.  The service was actually very similar to an American service, and I enjoyed it very much.  The lyrics for the songs were printed in both Indonesian and English, so we were able to follow along with the songs.  It amazed me that the songs had very similar messages and music styles to that of an American church.  The pastor played piano in a contemporary style, and another woman sang, almost exactly the same as my home church.  Throughout the service, the missionaries we traveled with were able to translate for us, and I enjoyed the pastor’s message about trusting in the Lord to keep us from being afraid.  The church started promptly at 6:30, which was a surprise for the missionaries and ourselves, considering the typical culture of Indonesian people being late to social events.  After the service, we went downstairs and had a breakfast prepared by one of the women in the church.  She woke up around two o’clock this morning to buy a chicken at the market, and then she prepared the food until the service started.  I never realized how much advanced preparation was a part of any formal meal here!  Everyone was extremely friendly, and I got to hear about one man’s ministry of giving food and Bibles to the homeless people in his hometown.  It is always encouraging to see what God is doing in the lives of people across the world.  After this church service, we went to the Malang English Service at Wesley International School, and it was great to worship in a language we could understand.  Our God is so big, and He has blessed us so much already in this trip. 

It’s such a joy to give back our praise to Him.